First Day of School

Yesterday was Hayes' first day of school. It went off without a hitch! Hard to believe, I know. Here are some pix of the first day.

I didn't get much of a report from Hayes, but after two days of prodding, I did finally hear, "it's better than I could even have imagined!" I'd say that's a good sign.

Back to School

It's that time of year, when I think all people should be feeling the transition of school starting, summer ending and a hint that fall is just around the corner. We certainly are. 

Hayes will be at a new school this year. We hate to have left the school he was previously attending, but we just couldn't afford the tuition anymore. So Hayes will be in the public schools (a place where I left a little of my heart so many years ago) for second grade. 

We got a tour of the building today and were able to meet the principal and the assistant principal. I think it really made Hayes feel better. I know it made me feel good. He is of course excited about eating breakfast and lunch at school and about catching the bus. (I know, the things we cringe at now are so cool to our kids!) And the fact that they get to choose their specials on Friday is utterly cool. He is also excited that he may get to participate in some after school activities that we never had the money for last year. 

All in all I am feeling good about the switch. As long as Hayes can be convinced, we should be in good shape.

My Never List

Wet Dog or Wet Boy?

Just a note -- a wet boy can smell worse than a wet dog, especially when he forgets to use shampoo.

Thankfulness

I’m not much of a Reader’s Digest reader, but when I’m at the shore house without my usual reading material, I’ll pick up whatever’s available. And this article surprised me: How The New Science of Thank You Can Change Your Life. It was written by Deborah Norville & published in the October 2007 issue. (Yes, it was still on the coffee table this August!) You can read the entire article here.

Norville suggests that being consciously grateful each day had several benefits on the majority of participants in a recent study. They were generally:
• More optimistic
• More energetic
• More enthusiastic
• More determined
• More interested
• More joyful
• More likely to exercise
• More likely to have helped someone else
They also:
• Felt better about their lives
• Had fewer illnesses, and
• Got more sleep

Norville believes that we can all reap these benefits by simply taking the time to keep a gratitude journal. She suggests writing down three things every day for which you are thankful and then writing about why they made you feel grateful. Seems pretty simple. I might have to give it a try.

Friends

I am so lucky to have my friends. I don’t use the word lightly, friends. I feel like it’s an abused word these days. But my friends, they mean so much to me. They are the people I rely on, the people who save me from myself and the people who remind me that the journey is significant. I’ve had an entire week with my friends. I am so lucky.

My Anam Cara from Milligan came to visit this weekend. We have all changed so much since our time there (as is only appropriate) and yet, so much is still the same. We can pick up conversations that were started years ago and resume them as if we just broke for lunch. Our love has deepened even over time and distance and our various journeys seem to have brought us together even though we didn’t realize we were traveling down similar paths. The outward circumstances look widely different, but the soul experiences have been similar. We’ve been rattled to the bone and loved beyond measure and always, always, always, experienced the grace and mercy of God. Such is the breadth and depth of the love of Jesus Christ.

And then my local Anam Cara came to the rescue for me simply because she is part of my community and loves me without good reason. It probably didn’t seem like a big deal to her, making a small exception, but for me and for my friend, it meant the world! Thanks Amy. Your grace is abundant.

Where would I be without my friends? They are the hands and feet of God. It’s no small task to love me so greatly. I am ever mindful of how lucky I am.

I love Pat Oliphant

Boys Adrift

I finished reading this book over the 4th of July holiday. It has made a HUGE impact on the way I understand my son and the world he lives in. I'm not saying that Dr. Sax has it all right; but I am convinced he has done some very careful and thoughtful examining of what it means to be a boy today. He addresses: ADHD drugs and why "just giving it a try" is damaging to your child's brain, how schools generally treat male students, why the video game culture is so epidemic and how to think through your own child's video game routine, boys and motivation and the changing physical environment. Just a few small details you may have been thinking about yourself! If you have a boy, or teach boys, you must read this book.